Persons with temporary or permanent physical disabilities face numerous challenges to their independence. These challenges are especially great when the disabilities involve the use of fingers and hands. Such disabilities may include, but are not limited to, deformation of hands or fingers and damage to hand or finger muscles, bones, tendons, or nerves.
The ability to prepare food and to feed oneself is important to maintaining independence. Food product dispensers include containers and shakers made from plastic, glass, reinforced paper, e.g., cardboard, or the like for holding and dispensing food products, such as sugar, desert or salad toppings, or seasonings. Seasonings may include salt or spices, such as pepper, oregano, or nutmeg, or combinations of seasonings. Food product dispensers have at least one dispensing opening to permit the food product to be dispensed, e.g., shaken, from the dispenser. Such dispensers may also be disposable or reusable. If reusable, the dispensers are generally equipped with a top fill opening, such as a removable lid, or a bottom fill opening.
Common food product dispenser designs generally do not allow persons with finger or hand disabilities to easily use such dispensers. Many seasoning shakers are too small or too smooth for persons suffering from arthritis or other physically disabling conditions or persons with broken fingers or hands to grasp and use. Because food product dispensers are widely used, dispensers are preferably simple to use and inexpensive to construct.